From the small town of Cardenas on
Cuba's north coast, aunts and uncles

0:06:18

0:06:21

of Elian's father had made their way
across the Florida Straits,

0:06:21

0:06:25

settling in the Miami enclaves
of Hialeah and Little Havana.

0:06:25

0:06:28

The eldest of Elian's great-uncles,
Delphin,

0:06:41

0:06:43

had come in the late 1970s
after spending years

0:06:43

0:06:46

as a political prisoner
in Castro's jails.

0:06:46

0:06:49

He found a quiet life
in the Florida Keys,

0:06:49

0:06:51

where he made his living
selling lobster traps.

0:06:51

0:06:54

Delphin's younger brother, Lazaro,
followed

0:06:55

0:06:57

with his wife and two children.

0:06:57

0:06:59

He worked mostly as an auto-body
repair man,

0:06:59

0:07:02

but struggled to find a steady job.

0:07:02

0:07:04

Lazaro's daughter, Marisleysis,

0:07:05

0:07:07

had arrived in the United States
when she was Elian's age.

0:07:07

0:07:11

At 21, she processed loans at a
local bank

0:07:11

0:07:14

and dreamed of opening a hair salon.

0:07:14

0:07:17

I'm told that of all the family
members,

0:07:17

0:07:19

you're the one that Elian has
bonded with most.

0:07:19

0:07:22

-Do you feel that bond?

-I sure do.

0:07:22

0:07:24

Definitely. I feel like he's been
my brother since a little kid.

0:07:26

0:07:30

CHUCKLING

0:07:34

0:07:35

So, if this little boy has to go
back to Cuba,

0:07:51

0:07:54

it would really break your heart,
wouldn't it?

0:07:54

0:07:56

Sorry.

0:07:59

0:08:00

His mum died for him.

0:08:03

0:08:04

And...I feel that he deserves
to be here.

0:08:05

0:08:09

Cos that's what his mum wanted,

0:08:09

0:08:11

and his mum is first, to me.

0:08:11

0:08:13

We were all so scared to ask him
what happened.

0:08:17

0:08:19

And then there was that day
where he said,

0:08:21

0:08:23

"And I woke up
and my mum was not there.

0:08:23

0:08:25

"She must have drowned.
She drowned."

0:08:25

0:08:28

I swallowed real hard
and I grind my teeth not to cry.

0:08:28

0:08:33

And I looked at him and I said,
"She's always watching over you,

0:08:33

0:08:38

"so don't ever say your mum's dead,

0:08:38

0:08:40

"because she has to always live
in your heart."

0:08:40

0:08:42

In Cuba, Elian's father,
Juan Miguel,

0:10:05

0:10:08

hadn't known that his ex-wife and
her boyfriend had taken Elian away

0:10:08

0:10:11

on a home-made boat, hoping to start
their lives over

0:10:11

0:10:14

in the United States.

0:10:14

0:10:16

Frantic to find them,

0:10:16

0:10:18

Juan Miguel and his parents
immediately began calling

0:10:18

0:10:20

their relatives in Miami.
But almost from the start,

0:10:20

0:10:23

the two sides of the family
were talking past each other.

0:10:23

0:10:27

I remember my dad saying that,
you know,

0:10:44

0:10:46

"Juan Miguel says to take care
of him till he can come over here."

0:10:46

0:10:50

In the beginning of everything, I
always had a picture in my mind that

0:10:50

0:10:53

he was going to come and stay, and
it was like, "Wow, my whole family's

0:10:53

0:10:56

"going to be reunited."

0:10:56

0:10:57

Juan Miguel's branch of the family
was rooted comfortably in Cuba.

0:11:00

0:11:03

He and his parents were loyal
members

0:11:04

0:11:06

of the ruling Communist Party,

0:11:06

0:11:08

and Juan Miguel, who had remarried,

0:11:08

0:11:10

had a good job at the nearby
beach resort of Varadero.

0:11:10

0:11:14

When they needed help,

0:11:14

0:11:15

they didn't hesitate
to ask the Cuban government.

0:11:15

0:11:18

INAUDIBLE

0:11:46

0:11:49

Miguel, how's it going?
Good. Good to see you.

0:11:51

0:11:54

Hey, Mark, how's it going?

0:11:54

0:11:55

You've got some gifts there that the
Congresswoman wants to give you.

0:11:55

0:11:58

As soon as Elian's rescue made
the local news,

0:11:58

0:12:01

uninvited guests began to descend
on the Gonzales home
in Little Havana.

0:12:01

0:12:05

People are literally dying
to flee Cuba.

0:12:05

0:12:08

Among the first was Jorge Mas
Santos, the head of the most
powerful exile group -

0:12:08

0:12:12

the Cuban-American
National foundation.

0:12:12

0:12:14

When we saw this image
of this young boy who lost his

0:12:16

0:12:20

mother at sea, I think the image
of everything that

0:12:20

0:12:22

Cuban Americans felt.

0:12:22

0:12:23

I thought the Cuban-American
National foundation should use this

0:12:23

0:12:27

as messaging of a human story,
of a human tragedy.

0:12:27

0:12:30

That's why we developed a poster
and a campaign to bring attention to

0:12:30

0:12:34

something that we need to stop.

0:12:34

0:12:36

This is a typical tragic Miami story
that has to do with people trying to

0:12:36

0:12:42

leave Cuba and drowning at sea.

0:12:42

0:12:44

We sent that out
to a lot of different media.

0:12:46

0:12:50

All of a sudden,
it became a national story.

0:12:50

0:12:52

They made T-shirts with Elian's
picture and they disseminated it,
choosing to highlight Elian.

0:12:53

0:12:59

It caught the interest
of Fidel Castro immediately.

0:12:59

0:13:02

And it made Fidel Castro focus
laser beam on Elian and said,

0:13:02

0:13:07

"I am going to use this opportunity
to get back at the Miami community."

0:13:07

0:13:12

And he did it perfectly.

0:13:12

0:13:14

CHEERING

0:13:15

0:13:17

CHANTING: Fidel! Fidel! Fidel!

0:13:40

0:13:41

APPLAUSE

0:14:42

0:14:45

NBC News In Depth tonight - the
struggle over a little boy.

0:14:50

0:14:53

White House officials clearly don't
want this dispute to become a big

0:14:53

0:14:56

international incident.

0:14:56

0:14:57

"Don't forget that country is in
an election campaign," says Castro.

0:14:57

0:15:01

America has determined enemies
who hate our values.

0:15:01

0:15:05

We've just begun to fight!

0:15:05

0:15:07

Well, of course I'd rather grow up
in the United States.

0:15:07

0:15:10

But...

0:15:10

0:15:12

There may be other considerations
there.

0:15:12

0:15:14

Cuban officials are promising twice
as many protesters today, as this

0:15:14

0:15:18

country unites around the powerful
symbol

0:15:18

0:15:20

of a six-year-old child caught
between two worlds.

0:15:20

0:15:23

The Elian case was a very important
national unifying factor.

0:15:42

0:15:48

It was a moment in the long history
of confrontation

0:15:48

0:15:54

between Cuba and the US.

0:15:54

0:15:57

LOUD EXPLOSION, SCREAMING

0:15:57

0:15:59

The uprising that brought
Fidel Castro to power in 1959

0:16:03

0:16:06

overthrew a brutal dictatorship

0:16:06

0:16:08

that was closely allied with
United States.

0:16:08

0:16:10

The revolutionaries promised a more
just and democratic society,

0:16:10

0:16:16

even as Castro consolidated his own
power quickly and ruthlessly.

0:16:16

0:16:20

Well-off Cubans began fleeing
to Miami

0:16:24

0:16:26

as soon as the rebels took power.

0:16:26

0:16:28

And the exodus continued as Castro
confiscated private property

0:16:28

0:16:32

and nationalised American-owned
oil refineries.

0:16:32

0:16:36

-REPORTER:

-Are you a Communist,
Fidel?

0:16:36

0:16:37

Well...well, wait for the history.

0:16:37

0:16:41

The history will state what we are.

0:16:41

0:16:43

With Castro drawing closer to
the Soviets,

0:16:43

0:16:46

the American government punished
Cuba with an economic embargo.

0:16:46

0:16:49

Then it backed an invasion
by Cuban exiles at the Bay Of Pigs.

0:16:50

0:16:54

The bitter exiles would blame
their defeat on the Americans'

0:17:01

0:17:04

half-hearted support.

0:17:04

0:17:06

But Castro revelled in his victory,

0:17:07

0:17:09

which made him a hero
to revolutionaries around the world,

0:17:09

0:17:12

and gave him enemies in Miami
and Washington that he would exploit

0:17:12

0:17:15

for years to come.

0:17:15

0:17:17

New waves of Cuban refugees
poured into Miami.

0:17:50

0:17:53

What are conditions like there now?

0:17:55

0:17:58

-In Cuba?

-Yes.

-Bad condition. We have
no address, we have no food.

0:17:58

0:18:03

We have difficulty for all
things there.

0:18:03

0:18:06

Where do you plan to settle here
in the United States?

0:18:06

0:18:08

In Miami. Where my mother lives,
and my sister.

0:18:08

0:18:12

The Cold War never ended in Miami.

0:18:43

0:18:47

A mother died getting her kid
out of Cuba, to get him to freedom.

0:18:47

0:18:52

Of course we're going to hold
that child,

0:18:52

0:18:54

because we don't want him
to go back.

0:18:54

0:18:56

UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS

0:18:56

0:18:59

We really want, we NEED him here.

0:19:09

0:19:11

We have a role to play in
protecting freedom.

0:19:11

0:19:15

And when people risk everything
to come, even if

0:19:15

0:19:17

they are a five-year-old kid,
they ought to be allowed to stay.

0:19:17

0:19:19

Relatives of Elian Gonzales say they
saw a different side

0:19:33

0:19:36

of the six-year-old - a boy simply
filled with joy and happiness

0:19:36

0:19:39

at the Disney World visit, but
family spokesman Armando Gutierrez

0:19:39

0:19:43

says Elian showed some lingering
signs of his ordeal

0:19:43

0:19:46

and rescue at sea when he went on
the It's A Small World water ride.

0:19:46

0:19:49

He was a little bit frightened at
one time with the boat and

0:19:49

0:19:53

asked the question,
"Is this boat going to sink?"

0:19:53

0:19:55

Toys for a tot
torn between two countries.

0:19:59

0:20:02

Elian Gonzales has officially
captivated a community.

0:20:02

0:20:06

CHEERING

0:20:10

0:20:12

We wanted to give him a life where
he felt comfortable

0:21:09

0:21:12

and everything was normal.

0:21:12

0:21:13

Then we got him to go to school.

0:21:15

0:21:17

He was so happy to go to school.

0:21:17

0:21:18

CHILDREN CHANT: Elian! Elian!
Elian! Elian!

0:21:30

0:21:32

# Does that star-spangled banner
yet wave

0:21:42

0:21:49

# O'er the land of the free

0:21:49

0:21:53

# And the home of the brave? #

0:21:53

0:22:00

They were summoned
by President Fidel Castro

0:22:28

0:22:30

for what he calls the second
stage of the battle of the masses.

0:22:30

0:22:34

Thousands demonstrated again in
front of the US diplomatic mission

0:22:34

0:22:38

in Havana.

0:22:38

0:22:39

Fidel asked me to work
with Juan Miguel to help him

0:22:39

0:22:43

to recover his child.

0:22:43

0:22:46

Everybody in this island was
on the side of Elian,

0:22:46

0:22:51

his father, and his family.

0:22:51

0:22:52

-NEWS ANCHORS:

-The boy's father
joined other Cubans

0:23:08

0:23:10

at a weekend rally
demanding the child be returned.

0:23:10

0:23:13

American immigration officials
will interview the father

0:23:13

0:23:16

here in Cuba to give him a chance to
assert his rights

0:23:16

0:23:19

and prove his paternity.

0:23:19

0:23:21

We have this very unusual
circumstance of a father in Cuba

0:23:21

0:23:26

asking for the son
to be returned to him.

0:23:26

0:23:29

It was pretty unprecedented.

0:23:30

0:23:32

I mean, typically, people who came
to the United States from Cuba

0:23:32

0:23:35

came because
they wanted to stay here.

0:23:35

0:23:37

As the immigration service,

0:23:40

0:23:42

we had to determine whether
this WAS actually the father,

0:23:42

0:23:46

and, since the child had come to the
United States with the mother,

0:23:46

0:23:52

whether the father had
a relationship with the child.

0:23:52

0:23:55

What was the family's story?

0:23:55

0:23:57

Juan Miguel and Elisa had married
as teenagers.

0:24:49

0:24:52

And it had taken them years,
and seven miscarriages,

0:24:52

0:24:55

before Elian was born.

0:24:55

0:24:57

Strains on the marriage
eventually led them to separate.

0:24:59

0:25:02

But they set aside their differences
to build a new relationship around

0:25:02

0:25:05

the son they both adored.

0:25:05

0:25:06

# Happy birthday to you... #

0:25:23

0:25:26

# Happy birthday, dear Elian.

0:25:32

0:25:36

# Happy birthday to you. #

0:25:36

0:25:39

For me, seeing my cousin on TV
speaking the way he used to speak

0:27:12

0:27:17

about us and then seeing Fidel
next to him,

0:27:17

0:27:21

made me think, "Are you for real,

0:27:21

0:27:23

"or do you just have to play
this role?"

0:27:23

0:27:25

My Uncle Delfin said to me,

0:27:27

0:27:30

"That's probably not even
what he really wants to say,

0:27:30

0:27:32

"so don't take it to heart."

0:27:32

0:27:34

Delfin was a person
that I listened to

0:27:34

0:27:37

because that was the person
that I knew that experienced

0:27:37

0:27:43

the torturing of Cuba
when he was in prison.

0:27:43

0:27:47

He would say, "That is how the
government works.

0:27:47

0:27:50

"They try to destroy the family.

0:27:50

0:27:52

"They try to keep us apart."

0:27:52

0:27:54

So I was fighting for both of their
freedom because I was hoping

0:27:55

0:27:59

for the day Juan Miguel could meet
with Elian here and be free as well.

0:27:59

0:28:04

His cousin.

0:28:06

0:28:07

Cousin.

0:28:07

0:28:09

What do you want everybody to know
about how you're feeling right now?

0:28:14

0:28:17

Well, right now I'm feeling
that if it will be up to him...

0:28:17

0:28:19

I want him to stay. It is not my
decision and it is very hard for me.

0:28:19

0:28:22

So... I just hope they made the
right decision.

0:28:22

0:28:25

The case of Elian Gonzales has been
a difficult one,

0:28:28

0:28:31

complicated by the fact that several
people, other than Elian's father,

0:28:31

0:28:36

claimed to represent him.

0:28:36

0:28:38

INS has determined that Elian should
be reunited with his father.

0:28:41

0:28:47

And then we said...

0:28:47

0:28:49

By January 14th, he is
to be turned over to the INS,

0:28:49

0:28:54

so that he can be returned
to his father.

0:28:54

0:28:56

What did I think at that time?

0:28:56

0:28:58

Did I think it would happen?
I don't know.

0:28:58

0:29:00

Marisleysis, could we ask you
about your reaction?

0:29:02

0:29:06

They are only letting the dad decide
what's best for the kid

0:29:06

0:29:09

and everything like that.
As we all know,

0:29:09

0:29:11

when Elian came and found himself
lonely in this country

0:29:11

0:29:14

without no family, without his dad
not having the freedom

0:29:14

0:29:17

to get an aeroplane and come here
to support his child

0:29:17

0:29:20

when he most really needed it,

0:29:20

0:29:22

because he couldn't even sit down
in a bed because he will fall,

0:29:22

0:29:25

I was there and so was my family
supporting that.

0:29:25

0:29:28

Until then, they didn't let us
support him and being there for him.

0:29:28

0:29:32

Why aren't we given the opportunity
at this point to speak for him?

0:29:32

0:29:36

His dad doesn't have freedom
because otherwise, as a father,

0:29:36

0:29:39

as we all know, we would do the best
for our child.

0:29:39

0:29:41

We would have got on an aeroplane
and come to this country

0:29:41

0:29:44

and see how was our kid.
And his words were,

0:29:44

0:29:47

"I haven't lost anything there."

0:29:47

0:29:49

What about your son?

0:29:49

0:29:50

A fight was on, a fight was on.

0:29:50

0:29:52

This community has asked for,
since day one,

0:29:58

0:30:00

the due process of Elian Gonzales.

0:30:00

0:30:03

With help from Jorge Mas,

0:30:03

0:30:04

the family tried to go around the
immigration service, turning to some

0:30:04

0:30:07

of the Cuban American National
Foundation's powerful allies

0:30:07

0:30:11

in Washington.

0:30:11

0:30:12

We thought the best way to make sure
that the judicial process

0:30:12

0:30:14

was followed
was the issue of subpoena.

0:30:14

0:30:17

This is a federal subpoena which
we believe protects Elian Gonzales

0:30:17

0:30:21

from being forcibly
and illegally removed

0:30:21

0:30:23

from the United States,
back to Cuba.

0:30:23

0:30:26

In Miami, people celebrated
the subpoena, which orders

0:30:27

0:30:30

little Elian to appear
before US Congress in an effort

0:30:30

0:30:33

to delay his return to Cuba.

0:30:33

0:30:35

Several congressmen and at least one
senator say they will offer bills

0:30:37

0:30:41

as early as February to grant Elian
Gonzales permanent US citizenship.

0:30:41

0:30:47

But it's not just Congress.

0:30:47

0:30:48

At last night's Republican
presidential debate,

0:30:48

0:30:51

all the candidates demand that Elian
be allowed to stay here

0:30:51

0:30:54

and his father allowed to join him
if he wishes.

0:30:54

0:30:56

The man ought to be brought
to the United States,

0:30:56

0:30:58

given a whiff of freedom so he can
see how wonderful our country is.

0:30:58

0:31:01

-NEWS ANCHOR:

-Why has this become
so political?

0:31:01

0:31:04

Because Cuban-Americans are
a critical voting bloc

0:31:04

0:31:06

in Florida's Republican presidential
primary and a lucrative source

0:31:06

0:31:10

of campaign money
for BOTH political parties.

0:31:10

0:31:13

The six-year-old may have even more
politicians as playmates.

0:31:13

0:31:17

I know that this is where he wants
to stay, and if that is the case,

0:31:19

0:31:23

I will take care of him
like if he would be my son.

0:31:23

0:31:26

But I feel that we should have the
right to take his chance to court.

0:31:26

0:31:32

Can you remember when you were six?

0:31:36

0:31:37

There were some days I wanted to run
away from home.

0:31:41

0:31:43

And there were other days I wanted
my mommy so bad I couldn't stand it.

0:31:44

0:31:47

I think the law has indicated
and it's certainly, I think,

0:31:48

0:31:51

the experience of most people
that six years old is too young

0:31:51

0:31:55

to speak for themselves.

0:31:55

0:31:57

Under US law, it was the Attorney
General, Janet Reno,

0:31:57

0:32:01

who had the final say on Elian's
immigration case.

0:32:01

0:32:03

Trying to find a compromise,

0:32:04

0:32:06

she set aside the deadline
for returning Elian to Cuba,

0:32:06

0:32:09

and invited his Miami relatives
to plead their case.

0:32:09

0:32:13

Today we have filed
a very significant lawsuit

0:32:13

0:32:15

in federal court.

0:32:15

0:32:16

It is the case of Elian Gonzales
versus Janet Reno.

0:32:18

0:32:22

My hope is that people will look
at this little boy

0:32:22

0:32:26

and get him into a situation
where he can live a normal life

0:32:26

0:32:30

without television cameras
and the world in his face.

0:32:30

0:32:34

Elian himself had said almost
nothing in public

0:33:04

0:33:07

during his time in Miami.

0:33:07

0:33:08

But one night in January,

0:33:10

0:33:12

a camera caught him yelling
at a passing aeroplane.

0:33:12

0:33:15

And his words quickly became
a point of contention.

0:33:15

0:33:18

The family disputed the initial
translation by local television

0:33:32

0:33:36

and insisted that Elian
had really said

0:33:36

0:33:38

he DIDN'T want to return to Cuba.

0:33:38

0:33:40

-TRANSLATION:

-He has been manipulated.

0:33:40

0:33:43

That is what really concerns me

0:33:43

0:33:44

and has been concerning me
for a long time.

0:33:44

0:33:47

It has been suggested,
in some quarters,

0:33:47

0:33:49

and I'm going to give you the
opportunity to respond,

0:33:49

0:33:52

that the reason you did not
come to Miami

0:33:52

0:33:54

is because the Cuban
government is afraid

0:33:54

0:33:56

that once you get to Miami,
you will defect.

0:33:56

0:33:59

How do you respond to that?

0:33:59

0:34:01

-TRANSLATION:

-Who said that?
Who said that?

0:34:01

0:34:03

I think I have been
extremely clear.

0:34:04

0:34:08

People think, or some people think,
that I am under pressure here.

0:34:08

0:34:12

I have always said,
I haven't lost anything in Miami.

0:34:13

0:34:16

And sometimes what I would like
to do is go down there with a rifle,

0:34:18

0:34:22

I don't know,
to get rid of how many people.

0:34:22

0:34:24

Are you serious about that, sir?

0:34:24

0:34:26

That's obviously
a very inflammatory remark.

0:34:26

0:34:29

And what about... Isn't it
inflammatory, what they are doing

0:34:29

0:34:34

with my son?

0:34:34

0:34:36

I did see his anger.
And I did see his frustration.

0:34:36

0:34:39

But as a parent, you get
on the first flight you can

0:34:40

0:34:43

and you just come and get
your child.

0:34:43

0:34:45

He's not allowed to do that.
I had to take care of his child,

0:34:45

0:34:48

my dad had to shelter his child.

0:34:48

0:34:50

Juan Miguel's frustration should be
with the Cuban government,

0:34:52

0:34:55

not with me, or with our family.

0:34:55

0:34:57

Neither Juan Miguel nor the
Cuban government

0:35:00

0:35:02

offered any compelling reason why
he couldn't just go and get his son.

0:35:02

0:35:05

Cuban officials cited concerns
for his safety in Miami.

0:35:07

0:35:09

But the widespread belief there was
that Fidel either feared Juan Miguel

0:35:10

0:35:13

would defect or simply wanted to
keep the battle going

0:35:13

0:35:17

for as long as he could.

0:35:17

0:35:19

This was not a simple matter of a
parent saying, "I miss my child,

0:35:20

0:35:25

"I need to bring my child home."

0:35:25

0:35:27

This was going to take time and
there was always the possibility

0:35:27

0:35:31

that they would not be able
to get him home.

0:35:31

0:35:34

I've been involved in Cuba for
almost 40 years,

0:35:36

0:35:41

and if you've been to Cuba and
you come to know Cuban people,

0:35:41

0:35:44

you really have
a very different view

0:35:44

0:35:46

than if you've only lived
in the United States.

0:35:46

0:35:49

The National Council of Churches
decided to see if, by our efforts,

0:35:51

0:35:55

we could get this child returned to
his family in Cuba.

0:35:55

0:35:59

First of all, we needed to win over
the American people.

0:36:01

0:36:05

It's a very emotional thing to hear
a family talk

0:36:05

0:36:09

about the loss of a child.

0:36:09

0:36:11

And I knew that the grandmothers had
a passion

0:36:11

0:36:13

about getting this little boy
back home.

0:36:13

0:36:16

So I had to go to Fidel Castro and I
had to ask permission to take them.

0:36:16

0:36:22

The grandmothers came, and we tried
to arrange a visit

0:36:31

0:36:35

for them with Elian
who, of course, was in Miami.

0:36:35

0:36:38

And then ensued a back and forth
over the terms because, in fact,

0:36:38

0:36:45

there was such tension and
unresolved issues and disagreement

0:36:45

0:36:50

within the family itself.

0:36:50

0:36:52

It was not a negotiation.

0:37:20

0:37:22

It was dictated to them that they
must present the boy tomorrow

0:37:22

0:37:26

or his status would be changed and
the boy would potentially

0:37:26

0:37:29

be sent back to Cuba immediately.

0:37:29

0:37:31

I'm very concerned it was going to
happen tomorrow

0:37:33

0:37:35

because every night I go to sleep,
he tells me,

0:37:35

0:37:38

"Don't let them take me back,"

0:37:38

0:37:41

and I am going to be the one
taking him to this house,

0:37:41

0:37:43

where I don't know what's
going to happen,

0:37:43

0:37:45

and I don't have control of.

0:37:45

0:37:47

With local television stations
covering the tug-of-war live,

0:37:54

0:37:58

Elian met with his grandmothers
at the home of a Miami nun

0:37:58

0:38:00

who was an old friend of Janet Reno.

0:38:00

0:38:02

I wasn't allowed to stay in the
room with them.

0:38:05

0:38:07

And this was the perfect time for
him to tell her,

0:38:07

0:38:11

"I want to leave with you," if that
was what was in his heart.

0:38:11

0:38:14

If that would have been me,
I would have run to my grandma

0:38:14

0:38:18

and told her, "Take me."
But he didn't.

0:38:18

0:38:21

Actually, he did the opposite.

0:38:23

0:38:25

He ran out of the room and all he
said to me was, "Run, run!

0:38:26

0:38:29

"They are going to take us."

0:38:29

0:38:32

Just made me feel, well, I need to
fight for his freedom,

0:38:32

0:38:35

just like his mum
gave her life for it.

0:38:35

0:38:38

I think for the grandmothers, the
meeting was extremely frustrating.

0:38:39

0:38:43

And they felt that he was in danger.

0:38:43

0:38:45

They felt he was drugged.

0:38:45

0:38:47

But they did go home, having seen
Elian,

0:38:47

0:38:50

and they did go home more determined
that they had to get him home.

0:38:50

0:38:55

I feel great.

0:39:19

0:39:21

And I feel confident, yeah.

0:39:21

0:39:25

Strong, and that I have more
feelings that I had before.

0:39:25

0:39:31

Now I feel that he's more towards
this side than to that side.

0:39:31

0:39:36

Where are you going in a big-ass
hurry, man?

0:40:13

0:40:16

At that time I was a freelancer
for AP.

0:40:16

0:40:18

One morning, I get a call from
my editor and he says,

0:40:18

0:40:22

"All right, this is what I want
you to do."

0:40:22

0:40:24

You cover Elian every day.

0:40:25

0:40:27

Miami police shut down the street,

0:40:28

0:40:31

the whole half-block was
blocked off.

0:40:31

0:40:34

There were TV stations that were
paying 500 a day

0:40:34

0:40:38

just to have a crew
in front of the house.

0:40:38

0:40:40

Back in 1999 to 2000,

0:40:41

0:40:43

we weren't actually living in
24-hour news cycles.

0:40:43

0:40:46

It was a very different landscape.

0:40:47

0:40:49

All of a sudden, we've got media
stakeouts and they are, you know,

0:40:49

0:40:55

using this child almost as a prop
to tell a story,

0:40:55

0:40:59

you know, having him out,

0:40:59

0:41:00

playing with an American flag
at 11 o'clock at night.

0:41:00

0:41:02

So we'd not seen anything like that.

0:41:02

0:41:05

Rewarding this atrocious behaviour,

0:41:08

0:41:11

this trotting out this kid the
way they did,

0:41:11

0:41:13

and then you're acting shocked
and surprised that it's happening.

0:41:13

0:41:16

They wanted a full media blitz,
and we gave it to them.

0:41:16

0:41:19

We had things like, you know,

0:41:19

0:41:21

Diane Sawyer going to have
playdates with Elian.

0:41:21

0:41:25

We spent some time drawing.

0:41:28

0:41:30

Some waves.

0:41:30

0:41:32

A dolphin.

0:41:32

0:41:33

Himself in an inner tube.

0:41:35

0:41:37

"Me," he said, "I was sinking."

0:41:39

0:41:41

I always tell him I'm his cousin.

0:41:41

0:41:43

-He tries to call you Mom, sometimes?

-Yeah, he says Mari stands for mom.

0:41:43

0:41:47

And nobody cares about a little boy
who lost his mother,

0:42:08

0:42:12

who has lost everything, and
is now about to lose the only thing

0:42:12

0:42:16

that he has, which is me and
it's hard to say when he tells me,

0:42:16

0:42:22

"Please don't ever leave me."

0:42:22

0:42:23

People just say return him
to his father,

0:42:25

0:42:27

but people don't live with
this little boy.

0:42:27

0:42:29

People don't see
how this little boy feels.

0:42:29

0:42:31

Just the family stuff is enough
to throw someone over the edge.

0:42:37

0:42:41

Now, when all of that is being
witnessed on a daily basis

0:42:41

0:42:44

by the entire world, not easy.

0:42:44

0:42:47

I mean, I've been involved in
politics all my life,

0:42:48

0:42:50

I'm a practising lawyer,
a public speaker, you know...

0:42:50

0:42:55

I have the training,
as best you can,

0:42:55

0:42:58

to be able to do something
like that.
This family had zero, zero training.

0:42:58

0:43:02

I have been in this for four months,
not for political issues,

0:43:02

0:43:06

not to look good in front of people,

0:43:06

0:43:08

but for the best interests
of this child.

0:43:08

0:43:10

I remember the Today show, where
I think we might have even left

0:43:10

0:43:14

the show and gone to the hospital,
because she really took a beating,

0:43:14

0:43:18

an emotional beating
from that process.

0:43:18

0:43:21

It was a loving family.

0:43:27

0:43:28

They got caught up
in the collective hysteria,

0:43:28

0:43:31

that this was the apocalyptic battle
against Castro.

0:43:31

0:43:34

I was under a lot of stress,
I wasn't getting enough sleep,

0:43:36

0:43:39

sometimes I would just pass out.

0:43:39

0:43:41

A day in that house was crazy.

0:43:44

0:43:45

I had people walk in and out my room
and I was like,

0:43:47

0:43:51

"Who are these people?"

0:43:51

0:43:52

What people saw in the Elian story
often depended on where they stood.

0:43:53

0:43:58

As the weeks passed, national polls
showed a deep divide,

0:43:58

0:44:01

with more and more Americans
outside South Florida

0:44:01

0:44:03

in favour of returning the boy
to his father.

0:44:03

0:44:06

But in Miami, the exiles' fury
continued to grow,

0:44:14

0:44:18

spilling over into protests
that blocked traffic on the highways

0:44:18

0:44:21

and exasperated many of the
city's non-Cubans.

0:44:21

0:44:25

I am a parent. And I believe that
a child should be with his father.

0:44:25

0:44:28

I, by now, had seen the
anger in Miami.

0:44:36

0:44:38

I had seen the determination of some
of the Miami Cubans

0:44:38

0:44:41

to make sure that Elian
did not leave.

0:44:41

0:44:44

Senator Lahey came to me
and he said,

0:44:44

0:44:48

"We're going to get that little boy
back to his father.

0:44:48

0:44:52

"And I'm going to help you, but
you're never going to make it happen

0:44:52

0:44:55

"if you don't involve a lawyer in
this. I have a lawyer for you.

0:44:55

0:44:59

"His name is Greg Craig. I'm calling
him now. He won't say no."

0:44:59

0:45:04

I went to the Justice Department
and said,

0:45:04

0:45:06

"I'm going to go to Cuba, and I want
to be able to tell Juan Miguel

0:45:06

0:45:10

"that when he comes back
to the United States,

0:45:10

0:45:12

"he will be able to take custody
of his son,

0:45:12

0:45:16

"within the space of a few days.

0:45:16

0:45:17

"That he is not going to have to sit
in some room

0:45:17

0:45:20

"and watch his son on television
being paraded around

0:45:20

0:45:23

"by these relatives."

0:45:23

0:45:25

They were not willing to give me
that commitment.

0:45:25

0:45:27

I had nothing going down to Cuba,
other than to say,

0:45:32

0:45:36

"Now is the time to do it."

0:45:36

0:45:37

To be clear, Castro was in the
middle of this decision-making.

0:45:43

0:45:46

Castro was waking up from a nap,

0:45:49

0:45:51

you could just tell that he
had been asleep

0:45:51

0:45:53

and he was putting himself together.

0:45:53

0:45:55

The meeting was forever,
it lasted forever.

0:45:57

0:45:59

And we drank more coffee
and more water

0:45:59

0:46:02

and people would be getting up and
going off to relieve themselves.

0:46:02

0:46:06

Castro didn't move for four hours.

0:46:06

0:46:09

I think perhaps he had a device!

0:46:09

0:46:12

He would shake his finger at me
and said,

0:46:14

0:46:17

"Why do you think an American court
would ever rule

0:46:17

0:46:20

"in favour of a Cuban national?

0:46:20

0:46:22

"There has never been a case
where a Cuban National has won."

0:46:22

0:46:25

And my only argument was, I don't
know of any time when the government

0:46:25

0:46:28

of the United States has been
on the same side of the case

0:46:28

0:46:32

as a Cuban national, which in turn,
you know,

0:46:32

0:46:34

on the same side
with the government of Cuba.

0:46:34

0:46:37

That's never happened in history.
So maybe the result
will be different.

0:46:37

0:46:39

We're talking with Dr Andrew Wilde,

0:46:43

0:46:45

the author of Eating Well
For Optimal Health.

0:46:45

0:46:47

I think it is fine
for lower cholesterol levels.

0:46:47

0:46:50

Let me cut you a second. Let's go
to Washington to Greg Craig

0:46:50

0:46:52

at the offices
of Williams & Connolly.

0:46:52

0:46:54

My name is Gregory B Craig.

0:46:54

0:46:56

I'm pleased to report
that Juan Miguel Gonzales,

0:46:56

0:46:59

his wife and six-month-old son,
will be coming to the United States.

0:46:59

0:47:03

They will arrive tomorrow morning,
Thursday, April 6th,

0:47:03

0:47:07

at 7am at Dulles Airport.

0:47:07

0:47:08

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

0:47:08

0:47:12

It was the next day that we had the
meeting with the Attorney General.

0:49:04

0:49:07

I'm driving the car and I'm
saying to myself,

0:49:09

0:49:12

now is the time to tell Juan Miguel
what his options are.

0:49:12

0:49:17

There is no Cuban diplomats,
Fidel Castro is not in the room.

0:49:17

0:49:21

It's just the family.

0:49:21

0:49:22

So I said to Juan Miguel,

0:49:23

0:49:25

"If you want to get Elian
back this afternoon

0:49:25

0:49:28

"and stay in the United States
with your family,

0:49:28

0:49:32

"you have that opportunity
because you are going to have

0:49:32

0:49:34

"the Attorney General of the United
States, you are going to have

0:49:34

0:49:37

"the Commissioner of INS,
and they will grant that request,

0:49:37

0:49:40

"if you want to do that."

0:49:40

0:49:42

He says, Thank you very much."

0:49:42

0:49:44

At a certain point,
the Attorney General asked

0:49:49

0:49:52

that everybody else leave the room.

0:49:52

0:49:54

It was a very powerful meeting.

0:49:54

0:49:55

Very powerful.

0:49:57

0:49:58

He cut off the conversation
almost when it started, saying,

0:50:00

0:50:06

"I stand by my word, I have a family
in Cuba, I have a life in Cuba,

0:50:06

0:50:11

"my son is going to grow up
as a Cuban

0:50:11

0:50:14

"and I am not going to be claiming
asylum."

0:50:14

0:50:18

He was a very proud...
very clear person.

0:50:18

0:50:25

I called my cousin and said, "Look,
we need to meet with his father

0:50:29

0:50:31

"and find out
what he really wants to do.

0:50:31

0:50:35

"This is our time
to go and find out the truth."

0:50:35

0:50:38

Donato was instantly, instantly
drawn to a camera.

0:50:38

0:50:41

I begged him, "No more shows,
Donato. No more shows."

0:50:43

0:50:47

And we got off the airplane
at Dulles, and it was probably

0:50:47

0:50:51

the biggest media centre
I've ever seen in my entire life.

0:50:51

0:50:55

Once we got into the car from
the airport,

0:51:01

0:51:04

it was within 60 seconds
that I knew I was in the car

0:51:04

0:51:07

with the Cuban National Foundation.

0:51:07

0:51:09

They were already brainwashing
Donato and trying to brainwash me.

0:51:09

0:51:13

They wanted it to look like
that once we got there,

0:51:15

0:51:17

that Juan Miguel refused to meet us.

0:51:17

0:51:19

Juan Miguel came in and,
in a very sincere way, thanked them

0:51:23

0:51:26

for having saved Elian's life.

0:51:26

0:51:30

Juan Miguel was a very, very...
heart-warming, loving father,

0:51:30

0:51:35

with tears in his eyes
when he would talk to me.

0:51:35

0:51:39

My heart told me the right thing,
and he wants his child back.

0:51:39

0:51:42

We are talking about a six-year-old
little boy here, people.

0:51:53

0:51:55

It's a child. That's what we need to
be concerned about, and nobody else.

0:51:55

0:51:58

The rest of it is all BS, man.

0:51:58

0:52:00

We need to put this baby to rest
right now.

0:52:00

0:52:03

Donato has to speak for himself.

0:52:03

0:52:05

I said, "I'm Donato, the fisherman,
the one they call El Pescador.

0:52:05

0:52:08

"I was there when your son was
about to drown."

0:52:08

0:52:12

And, man, this guy's eyes started
to well up with water.

0:52:12

0:52:15

And I ran over there and I grabbed
him and I hugged him.

0:52:15

0:52:18

We didn't kick him out,
but we had to urge him to leave.

0:52:32

0:52:36

I don't stand in the way of
this father.

0:52:37

0:52:40

But I can tell you this,

0:52:40

0:52:42

I don't feel that he is free
outside of his lawyer here.

0:52:42

0:52:45

Juan Miguel said that he is not
going to go down to Miami,

0:52:45

0:52:47

so what's going to happen?

0:52:47

0:52:49

We needed a family meeting
away from the media,

0:52:51

0:52:53

governments pitted against
each other,

0:52:53

0:52:55

the Cuban American
National Foundation

0:52:55

0:52:57

versus the Castro brothers.
We needed to get out of that.

0:52:57

0:53:00

And we needed a neutral third party,

0:53:00

0:53:02

which I thought
was the Catholic Church.

0:53:02

0:53:04

We got the blessing of the Pope

0:53:06

0:53:08

about using the Vatican embassy
in Washington.

0:53:08

0:53:11

I had a private jet prepared,

0:53:12

0:53:14

Elian was going to be taken to my
home that evening,

0:53:14

0:53:17

so that he could be on a plane
at four in the morning.

0:53:17

0:53:19

-VOICEOVER:

-I got a call
from Jorge Mas,

0:53:20

0:53:22

saying to go to Elian's house
and tell the family

0:53:22

0:53:25

to bring Elian to Washington.

0:53:25

0:53:27

I went into the house and I said,
"If you ask me, I wouldn't do it."

0:53:28

0:53:32

"Because if you are going to ask me
for any guarantees as to what is

0:53:32

0:53:36

"going happen,
I can't give them to you."

0:53:36

0:53:38

And I remember there was
a huge thing of seafood,

0:53:39

0:53:42

a paella or something, and
Lazaro was so tense by this time

0:53:42

0:53:47

that he grabs his phone
and throws it in there.

0:53:47

0:53:49

And I'm just sitting there
and I'm watching this phone,

0:53:49

0:53:53

you know, sinking into the rice.

0:53:53

0:53:56

There is a new element
to this story -

0:54:24

0:54:26

the boy's Miami relatives released
a video tape of Elian

0:54:26

0:54:28

recorded last night.

0:54:28

0:54:30

It shows him on a bed, we are going
to show it to you.

0:54:30

0:54:32

It's not clear who was in the room
with him,

0:54:32

0:54:33

whether he was coached or not.

0:54:33

0:54:35

After the Miami relatives refused
to bring the kid to Washington,

0:55:14

0:55:19

it became clear
that if we wanted Elian,

0:55:19

0:55:22

we were going to have to go
into the house and take him.

0:55:22

0:55:24

SHOUTING AND CHANTING

0:55:24

0:55:27

For the last couple of days,
we weren't even 100% sure

0:55:31

0:55:34

that Elian was even inside the home.

0:55:34

0:55:36

He was not being brought out by
family members,

0:55:36

0:55:39

he didn't make appearances
into the crowds.

0:55:39

0:55:42

The less we saw of him, the more
concern we had as to his welfare.

0:55:42

0:55:46

If it comes to taking
Elian by force,

0:55:52

0:55:55

US law enforcement officials
have a plan.

0:55:55

0:55:57

Elements of the
SWAT Special Operations group

0:55:57

0:56:00

are available. The 1,100-member
Miami Police Department

0:56:00

0:56:03

and the Florida Highway Patrol has
placed units on alert.

0:56:03

0:56:06

The final go or no-go order
will come only

0:56:06

0:56:09

from Attorney General Janet Reno.

0:56:09

0:56:12

For weeks, the government had been
assembling a shock force

0:56:13

0:56:15

of federal agents to seize Elian
if necessary.

0:56:15

0:56:18

But Janet Reno had misgivings that
went beyond her loyalty

0:56:20

0:56:23

to Cuban exiles in Miami.

0:56:23

0:56:25

Seven years earlier, just after
taking office as Attorney General,

0:56:26

0:56:30

Reno had ordered federal agents to
raid the compound

0:56:30

0:56:33

of a religious cult near
Waco, Texas.

0:56:33

0:56:36

More than 70 people died,
including 25 children.

0:56:36

0:56:39

We must all reflect
on how we, as a society,

0:56:41

0:56:44

can, in the future, prevent
such a senseless, horrible,

0:56:44

0:56:48

tragic loss of human life.

0:56:48

0:56:50

One thing that really,
I think did haunt her was Waco.

0:56:50

0:56:54

But Janet Reno was somebody
who made her decisions

0:56:54

0:56:57

based on the facts and the law.

0:56:57

0:57:00

Instead of discussing
HOW Elian should be reunited,

0:57:00

0:57:04

the attorneys for the relatives
continue to demand

0:57:04

0:57:06

that we revisit the issue of WHETHER
Elian should be reunited.

0:57:06

0:57:11

That is not what the law provides.

0:57:11

0:57:14

Demonstrators break through those
barricades to try to form a human

0:57:19

0:57:22

chain around this house,

0:57:22

0:57:24

if indeed federal agents came
to seize Elian Gonzales.

0:57:24

0:57:28

There were people in the crowds
that had violent police records,

0:57:32

0:57:35

there were armed individuals
in the crowd.

0:57:35

0:57:37

The entire event was
a potential powder keg.

0:57:40

0:57:42

We wanted to effect a search warrant
as soon as possible.

0:57:43

0:57:47

The only delays were last-ditch
efforts made by the US government

0:57:47

0:57:52

to negotiate a peaceful,
so to speak,

0:57:52

0:57:57

surrender of the child
to the US government.

0:57:57

0:57:59

Miss Reno was willing to exhaust
every option,

0:58:00

0:58:04

so when members of the community
came in and said, you know,

0:58:04

0:58:08

"We think we can broker a deal,"
she was willing to talk to them.

0:58:08

0:58:11

We were afraid that this was going
to bring a lot of harm

0:58:13

0:58:15

to the community, and the
perception of the community.

0:58:15

0:58:18

This was spinning out of control.

0:58:18

0:58:20

My focus was to get the community
to have

0:58:22

0:58:26

a unanimous position that
we're going to do this peacefully.

0:58:26

0:58:30

In my view, we were very close
to doing, in two days,

0:58:30

0:58:33

that which had not been done
in five months.

0:58:33

0:58:36

We are going to create a scenario
where the two families would go

0:58:36

0:58:40

to a military base, have an
opportunity to talk to each other

0:58:40

0:58:43

and look for an elegant solution
and a settlement.

0:58:43

0:58:46

We developed the points
and we faxed them to Janet Reno.

0:58:46

0:58:50

We get the fax off and we had been
instructed by Aaron Podhurst,

0:58:53

0:58:57

everything is good.

0:58:57

0:58:58

You guys are fine. The agreement is
still not finalised,

0:58:58

0:59:02

but our expectations were that

0:59:02

0:59:03

we'll be out of here
in a couple of hours.

0:59:03

0:59:05

The offer was the same as had been
made repeatedly by the family

0:59:08

0:59:13

and that ultimately
not only hadn't succeeded,

0:59:13

0:59:16

but was not willing to, in any way,
concede turning over the child

0:59:16

0:59:23

to the father.

0:59:23

0:59:24

It was just another effort, I think
most of us thought, to delay.

0:59:24

0:59:29

We had identified 5am
to be an optimal time

0:59:32

0:59:36

to execute the search warrant.

0:59:36

0:59:38

We were ready well prior to that and
still awaiting a final green light

0:59:38

0:59:45

from the Department of Justice.

0:59:45

0:59:46

We were all
in the Attorney General's office.

0:59:46

0:59:49

She stayed on an open line
with Mr Podhurst.

0:59:49

0:59:52

I stayed on an open line
with the INS people in Miami.

0:59:52

0:59:58

Because I needed to give them
the order that it was a go.

0:59:58

1:00:04

I had two lines, one to the house
and one to the Attorney General,

1:00:05

1:00:09

Janet Reno. It never occurred to me
that there was a raid planned,

1:00:09

1:00:13

and I kept saying to the
Attorney General,

1:00:13

1:00:15

"What's the big rush about?"

1:00:15

1:00:17

She gave them deadlines,
she told them, "After this point,

1:00:17

1:00:20

"it's going to be too late and
then you are out of time.

1:00:20

1:00:23

"You are running out of time."

1:00:23

1:00:24

That was the only night
that Elian didn't sleep.

1:00:28

1:00:32

He was scared
that they would take him.

1:00:33

1:00:35

It's well past midnight.

1:00:36

1:00:38

I tell them, "Look, I'm beginning
to feel very uncomfortable,

1:00:39

1:00:42

"like there's a problem here.

1:00:42

1:00:44

"Because there is no reason...
this is a one-page document."

1:00:44

1:00:46

There was questions in the room,
"Are we on hold? Is it a go?"

1:00:48

1:00:53

And Miss Reno said, "It's a go."

1:00:53

1:00:55

Then, about four o'clock,
we get a call from Aaron,

1:01:01

1:01:05

and his voice is almost shaking.

1:01:05

1:01:07

And he says to me, "You have got
five minutes to wake everybody up."

1:01:09

1:01:12

I woke everybody up.

1:01:15

1:01:16

And while we're having
that conversation,

1:01:21

1:01:25

there's a bunch of yelling
and screaming outside.

1:01:25

1:01:29

And I said to Aaron,
"Aaron, the feds are here."

1:01:30

1:01:33

Wake up!

1:01:34

1:01:35

HORN BLASTS

1:01:36

1:01:38

Let me go live. Are we shooting it?

1:01:40

1:01:42

Stay back behind the barricades!

1:01:45

1:01:47

Back behind the barricades!

1:01:47

1:01:49

Hordes of people were going to do
everything in their power

1:01:49

1:01:52

to prevent us from reaching the
front door.

1:01:52

1:01:54

They chanted, they screamed,
lights went on.

1:01:54

1:01:57

They formed human chains.

1:01:57

1:01:59

We virtually had to push our way
to the front door.

1:01:59

1:02:04

Behind us,
there was a riot going on.

1:02:06

1:02:08

It was clearly organised resistance.

1:02:18

1:02:20

I pounded at the door.

1:02:24

1:02:26

"Federal agents,
we're executing a search warrant.

1:02:26

1:02:29

"Open the door, open the door."

1:02:29

1:02:31

I had to give the order
to breach the door.

1:02:33

1:02:36

When I look, I see all these
people with guns.

1:02:39

1:02:41

They were dressed in green,

1:02:41

1:02:43

so I thought they were like
Cuban commandos.

1:02:43

1:02:45

So I started screaming, "Cuba is
coming!" And Lazaro said, Cuba!

1:02:45

1:02:49

So everyone in the house thought
it was Cuba.

1:02:49

1:02:51

I clearly remember
the lady that came in to get him,

1:02:51

1:02:55

saying, "Where is the F kid?
Where is the F goddamn kid?"

1:02:55

1:03:00

I did step forward, a little bit
aggressive, you know, like mad?

1:03:00

1:03:04

And she says, "If you take one more
step, I'm going to shoot."

1:03:04

1:03:08

I'm running to the front and
then, you know,

1:03:08

1:03:10

Elian jumps on me
and then I give him to Donato.

1:03:10

1:03:13

If there was anybody, it shouldn't
have been me that night,

1:03:13

1:03:17

that got Elian into my arms.

1:03:17

1:03:18

But everyone seemed to be running
for shelter

1:03:18

1:03:21

because they are hearing
the same thing I'm hearing,

1:03:21

1:03:23

"Get down or we'll shoot."

1:03:23

1:03:24

We are thinking, "Oh, wow,
they're going to kill us."

1:03:24

1:03:27

I see out of the closet,
Donato and Elian.

1:03:28

1:03:32

The boy says to me, "Que esta
pasando? Que esta pasando?"

1:03:34

1:03:37

I said, "Nothing is happening, baby,
but everything

1:03:39

1:03:43

"is going to be all right."

1:03:43

1:03:45

Boom! The door busted open and
there is a federal armed agent

1:03:46

1:03:50

with an assault weapon, and he's got
that thing pointed directly at me

1:03:50

1:03:54

and Elian. All I hear is...

1:03:54

1:03:56

HE IMITATES A CAMERA FLASH

1:03:56

1:03:59

I'm flashing, I'm strobing this guy
in the face.

1:03:59

1:04:02

It was, you know, freedom of press.

1:04:04

1:04:06

You can't touch that.

1:04:06

1:04:08

And he's screaming, "Give me
the kid. Give me the effing kid."

1:04:11

1:04:16

Within seconds, a woman appeared
in the room

1:04:17

1:04:20

and that's when I handed Elian over
to the agent.

1:04:20

1:04:24

Get ready to get the boy.

1:04:26

1:04:27

They've got the boy,
they've got the boy.

1:04:29

1:04:31

All I could hear was Elian
screaming, "Prima, Prima, Prima!"

1:04:38

1:04:42

You know, just calling out.

1:04:44

1:04:45

And I couldn't do anything.

1:04:47

1:04:49

SHOUTING AND SCREAMING

1:04:51

1:04:54

Elian was just a kid,
and that day, they risked his life.

1:05:40

1:05:44

I sometimes wonder what Juan Miguel
felt about that.

1:05:44

1:05:48

I would have never wanted my child
to be taken out like that.

1:05:49

1:05:54

Elian Gonzales is, as we speak,
being flown

1:05:55

1:05:59

to Andrews Air Force Base,
just outside of Washington,

1:05:59

1:06:02

where he will be reunited
with his father.

1:06:02

1:06:05

Pictures taken by an Associated
Press photographer

1:07:08

1:07:10

which the administration will
have to answer to.

1:07:10

1:07:13

There is a picture...of that little
boy's fear, he's scared,

1:07:13

1:07:18

so Janet Reno and everybody else,

1:07:18

1:07:20

don't say you came here
with no violence,

1:07:20

1:07:22

and that this boy is OK.
How can this boy not be...

1:07:22

1:07:26

How can this boy be OK
when he had a gun at his head?

1:07:26

1:07:29

Marisleysis Gonzales expressing her
feelings on what happened,

1:07:29

1:07:32

and describing what happened here
this morning.

1:07:32

1:07:34

-They treated us like criminals.

-I know.

1:07:34

1:07:38

They broke...

1:07:50

1:07:52

They broke Elian's bed.

1:07:53

1:07:55

He was saying, "Que pasa? Que pasa?
What's going on?"

1:07:59

1:08:02

I just held his head like this.

1:08:02

1:08:05

My God, America,
what did you do to this boy?

1:08:05

1:08:08

All right, Marisleysis Gonzales,
Donato Dalrymple,

1:08:08

1:08:12

thank you very much.

1:08:12

1:08:14

Up until the last,
we tried every way we could

1:08:32

1:08:35

to encourage Lazaro Gonzalez
to voluntarily hand over the child

1:08:35

1:08:39

to his father.

1:08:39

1:08:41

Unfortunately the Miami relatives
rejected our efforts,

1:08:42

1:08:47

leaving us no other option
but the enforcement action.

1:08:47

1:08:50

SIREN BLARES

1:08:50

1:08:53

An election in turmoil.

1:09:01

1:09:03

A presidency in the balance.

1:09:03

1:09:05

A nation waits.

1:09:05

1:09:07

Who will emerge the winner
in the historic Florida recount?

1:09:07

1:09:10

There were 10,000
Cuban-American Democrats

1:09:10

1:09:13

who became Republicans post-Elian.

1:09:13

1:09:17

Had the Elian event been handled
better,

1:09:17

1:09:19

hell, we might not have had
the Iraq war.

1:09:19

1:09:22

I, George Walker Bush,
do solemnly swear...

1:09:24

1:09:26

President Bush became the President
of the United States in 2000

1:09:26

1:09:30

because of Elian Gonzales.
There is no doubt in my mind.

1:09:30

1:09:34

And I think that the numbers
prove that out.

1:09:34

1:09:36

Marisleysis and her family would not
see Elian again.

1:10:13

1:10:17

In late June, almost seven months
after his rescue at sea,

1:10:17

1:10:21

the Supreme Court finally lifted
the order

1:10:21

1:10:23

keeping him in the United States.

1:10:23

1:10:26

He and his father were back in Cuba
before nightfall.

1:10:26

1:10:28

CROWD CHANTS: Elian! Elian! Elian!
Elian!

1:10:36

1:10:39

Castro was, in fact, dedicated
to getting that little boy home,

1:13:06

1:13:10

and it became a matter of his heart.

1:13:10

1:13:13

It was not now
just a government victory.

1:13:13

1:13:15

And Elian became virtually
like a child of his.

1:13:17

1:13:20

CHILDREN SING

1:13:23

1:13:25

As Elian grew up, Fidel continued to
celebrate the boy's return as a

1:13:34

1:13:38

triumphant chapter in the larger
story of Cuba's revolution.

1:13:38

1:13:41

In the aftermath of the
Elian affair,

1:14:52

1:14:55

new Cuban-American leaders
challenged the intransigence

1:14:55

1:14:57

of the old guard.

1:14:57

1:14:58

Even the Cuban American National
Foundation retreated

1:15:00

1:15:02

from its hardline past,
appealing to an exile community

1:15:02

1:15:05

that was less defined by the old
hatreds and paving the way

1:15:05

1:15:09

for historic changes in
American policy.

1:15:09

1:15:11

We definitely began focusing on a
younger and different generation.

1:15:11

1:15:15

Both here and in Cuba.

1:15:15

1:15:18

We have to talk to their
hopes and aspirations.

1:15:21

1:15:24

They are going to be the key
to the future.

1:15:24

1:15:26

The first American President
in 88 years touched down

1:15:34

1:15:37

just a few moments ago,
here in Cuba.

1:15:37

1:15:40

-BARACK OBAMA:

-I have come here to
bury the last remnant

1:16:13

1:16:16

of the Cold War in the Americas.

1:16:16

1:16:18

Havana is only 90 miles
from Florida.

1:16:19

1:16:22

But to get here, we had to travel
a great distance.

1:16:23

1:16:26

Over barriers of history,
and ideology...

1:16:27

1:16:30

..barriers of pain and separation.

1:16:32

1:16:34

In many ways, the United States and
Cuba are like two brothers

1:16:34

1:16:38

who have been estranged
for many years.

1:16:38

1:16:41

I want the Cuban people,
especially the young people,

1:16:49

1:16:52

to understand why I believe that you
should look to the future with hope.

1:16:52

1:16:56

Hope that is rooted in the future
that YOU can choose,

1:16:56

1:17:00

and that YOU can shape and that you
can build for your country.

1:17:00

1:17:03

MILITARY DRUM PLAYS

1:18:15

1:18:17

Did I want him to stay in America?

1:18:25

1:18:27

Selfishly, yes.

1:18:27

1:18:28

He was going to have scholarships,
he was going to go to college,

1:18:28

1:18:31

he was going to have the
American Dream.

1:18:31

1:18:34

But, you know, in the end,

1:18:34

1:18:35

I realised that that American Dream
wasn't for him.

1:18:35

1:18:38

As he lives out his life,
what role he will play in Cuba,

1:18:40

1:18:44

what role he will play
in the Cuban revolution

1:18:44

1:18:47

that is to come, inevitably,

1:18:47

1:18:50

he will be part of a new generation.

1:18:50

1:18:52

And how he will weather that,
how he will respond to that

1:18:52

1:18:57

is probably partly related
to what will happen to Cuba,

1:18:57

1:19:02

and some of that depends on us.

1:19:02

1:19:04

I shouldn't be happy
because a person has died.

1:20:38

1:20:40

But he separated my family, my
parents never got to see Cuba again.

1:20:40

1:20:47

So today, I rejoice for this.

1:20:47

1:20:50

As Cuban-Americans celebrated
Fidel's death,

1:20:55

1:20:58

Miami talk shows
replayed Elian's comments

1:20:58

1:21:00

and revisited a
long-running question.

1:21:00

1:21:03

What sort of man had the miracle boy
become?

1:21:03

1:21:05

People have told me,
"Oh, did you hear what Elian said?"

1:21:08

1:21:10

He is brainwashed.

1:21:10

1:21:12

I say he's not at fault for what
he has become,

1:21:15

1:21:18

where he's at right now, he doesn't
know any better.

1:21:18

1:21:22

So I don't judge him.

1:21:24

1:21:26

I just sit and wait.

1:21:28

1:21:30

I would love to see him here.

1:21:54

1:21:56

Even if it's just a visit.

1:21:57

1:21:58

But I don't see myself going back
to Cuba.

1:22:00

1:22:02

I feel that I would be
betraying his mother.

1:22:04

1:22:06

I'm not in his future,
I'm in his past, so...

1:22:13

1:22:16

Years can go by and it's the
same thing over and over.

1:22:16

1:22:19

Whoever is right or wrong,
we are family.

1:22:50

1:22:53

And we love each other.

1:22:54

1:22:56

I dream till the day comes
that I can speak to him.

1:22:58

1:23:01

I love him.

1:23:03

1:23:04

No matter who,
or what he chooses to be.

1:23:06

1:23:10

On 25 November 1999, a six-year-old Cuban boy was found floating alone off the Florida coast after his mother drowned during an attempt to escape Cuba for the United States. Set against the tense and acrimonious relationship between the two countries, The Boy Who Changed America tells the story of Elian Gonzalez and the bitter custody battle that played out in the aftermath of his rescue between his Cuban father and American relatives. Eighteen years later and in the wake of Fidel Castro's death, the now 23-year-old Elian and his family tell their story for the first time.